


Winter at Valley Forge

by Loukreswag



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Conway Cabal, Fevers, I Tried, I'll add more tags later, M/M, Other, Valley Forge, Winter Storms, not exactly historically accurate, self-starvation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2019-01-17 03:33:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12356574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loukreswag/pseuds/Loukreswag
Summary: Washington's troops get stuck at Valley Forge. Alexander and John do their best but some things are harder to handle than others.





	Winter at Valley Forge

**Author's Note:**

  * For [coltuonome](https://archiveofourown.org/users/coltuonome/gifts).



> Okay, I don't know exactly how to... thing so if the person who wanted this prompt has anything to say about the story on how you wanted it to go, please tell me. Fair warning, It's kind of short and I am apologizing beforehand.

Alexander panted heavily as he trudged through the piled snow, John following close behind. They had just finished delivering a letter to a mail carrier, who was waiting just outside the camp, for General Washington. Originally, only Alexander was supposed to send the letter but after a certain Frenchman reminding Washington of the last time he went alone, John was sent to supervise the exchange. For the past two months, every single letter sent between the army and Congress have been about the condition of Washington’s troops.

While the British live large and well-fed in Philadelphia, they were living in cramped tents and starving. Every time they asked for help, Congress turned them down. The men were getting sick and dying, some even deserted the camp before they could do either and at this rate, there wasn’t going to be an army left by the end of the horrid season. The longer the wait for supplies, the worse their situation got. John has tried to get in touch with his father multiple times to get him to send funds but he never got a response. Lately, they began to think about eating their horses. 

John shivered and tightened his coat, mouth and nose diving below the collar in an attempt to keep the freezing air from his lungs. Alexander eyed him wearily and swayed himself so he could walk beside the curly-haired man. "Jack, are you alright?" He laid a hand on his companion's shoulder, getting John's attention. John nodded but did not remove his face from his uniform. The cold was biting at the both of them and since neither had experienced a chill like this, they were more likely to succumb to sickness. In order to distract his friend from the weather, Alexander decided to ask him about his studies in Europe, which got the other man excited. Normally, Alexander didn't dig into pasts, whether or not they're his own, and John has wondered why that was but knew better than to interrogate the small man. He stuck his head from underneath his coat and faced Alexander, showing the other his already reddening nose and cheeks. 

"I studied in law, mostly because Father wanted me to but I always had an interest in science and medicine. I ended up Geneva-“

“Switzerland?” Alexander asking, interrupting.

John nodded and continued. “Yes and somehow winded up reading Paine’s work, coming back to America, and joining the army. Honestly, I feel like I have a greater purpose here than I would anywhere else.” He looks up at the darkening sky and smiles before turning back Alexander, suddenly looking shy as his eyes darting down to his boots, fingers twitching at his side. The Caribbean caught the movement and took John’s hand in his own. The South Carolinian looked down at their interlocked hands for a moment, eyes glazing over with something Alexander didn’t recognize.

“Alexander?”

“Yes?”

John throws his other arm and hugged the man close, placing his lips next to Alexander’s ear. Alexander’s eyes widened as he clutched onto the other’s coat tightly, his other hand still held captive by John’s. He became aware of everything quickly, the biting cold, the stars being nowhere in sight, the moon is full and giving the snow an eerie look, the quickness of his heartbeat, John’s muffled sobs. As fast as everything came to him, it all disappeared until it was only John. Alexander embraced the distraught man tightly, the two slightly swaying side to side until John collected himself.

“Alexander, can you promise me something?” He asked, voice cracking in the end. Alexander’s hold did not falter in the least bit when he answered from the deepest part of himself. “Yes, Jacky. Anything.” John pulled away and held the smaller at arm’s length away. Hazel eyes brimming with the same tears that stain his cheeks. “No matter what happens, don’t leave me.” He whispered, eyes searching for something in the two opposite, hoping that he understood. “I love you.”

Small pale hands came up to place themselves on top of freckled ones. Determination shone in deep brown eyes as Alexander took a step closer. He knew exactly what John was asking, knew what he meant by saying those three words. “John Laurens, actions speak louder than words and I plan to prove with my own that I love you as well but can you promise me the very thing you ask of me?” He asked in a low tone. He felt his shoulders lower when he heard John whisper a broken _yes_. Alexander smiled and pressed a quick kiss the corner of the other’s lips. He wiped John’s tears away and intertwined their hands once more and began to walk again.

 

After a while, Alexander felt a hard tug on his hand and turned around. John had an amused expression and it took Alexander a quick second to figure out why. He was walking past their shared tent and John had probably tried to get his attention about it. The immigrant sighed and followed his fellow aide-de-camp through the open flaps of the tent and walked over to his private cot, closing his eyes and kicking off his boots. John did the same and walked over to light a candle. Alexander turned on his side and licked his chapped lips.

He felt the cot give underneath a new weight and two strong arms wrap around him, turning around to welcome the embrace in these times of cold. Alexander opened his eyes and looked up at John, feeling the other man pull the ribbon from his hair and a few strands fall in his face. John smiled and raised a hand to brush aside a lock of hair. Alexander’s eyes raked over John’s face, tempted to count every freckle, hazel eyes glinting faintly in the candlelight, and at last resting on soft lips. John noticed and leaned down, Alexander meeting him halfway. Both sigh in contentment at the contact, neither deepening the kiss, only wanting to enjoy the sweet and innocence of it. When they finally pulled away, deep brown stared into gentle hazel. John opens his mouth to say something and is interrupted before he could say the first syllable.

Hercules barges in and grabs the back of John’s uniform jacket, pulling the latter of the cot in an instant. “Washington needs to speak with you right now. He said it was a matter of emergency.” John didn't need to be told twice, knowing better than to keep the General waiting, and shoved on his boot. John, casting one last glance at Alexander, ran out of the tent while muttering a quiet and rushed  _Sorry, Alexander_  on his way out. Hercules waited a moment, making sure John was absolutely far enough away from the tent, before turning to the only aide left. Alexander sat up and crossed his arms, eye blazing as he glared at his friend. 

“Why didn’t Washington summon me?”

“Because you’re the emergency, Alexander.”

**Author's Note:**

> So there you go!! This is my first time writing them in their war days so please forgive any errors I have made, thanks!!!!


End file.
